Latin American. Recently Russell P. Fleming, Director of the International Fire Sprinkler Association (IFSA) presented Jaime Moncada Pérez with the H.W. Marryatt Award during the Fire Sprinkler Americas Conference, held in the city of Medellín, Colombia.
This award was established by the IFSA Board of Governors to honour the spirit and dedication of Henry William Marryatt, an Australian who from 1920 and for eighty years dedicated his life to the advancement of fire safety. This award seeks to recognize the work of individuals who share the vision of the Harryatt, through their work in favor of the advancement of the concept of fire sprinklers.
Fleming said during the presentation of this award "You will know that this is a very prestigious award. It has only been delivered five times in the past, because it has only been given to people who have made a dramatic contribution to the international advancement of fire protection, and specifically of fire sprinklers. And that's the case with our laureate today (...) Jaime Moncada Pérez has been a true pioneer, here in Colombia and throughout Latin America. He is known as a fire protection engineer, an educator, a great representative of NFPA codes and standards, and for advocating for the appropriate way to design and install fire sprinkler systems."
Alex Rodríguez, President of Anraci-Colombia, added "As an association, as a Colombian and Latin American, we are proud that this grand prize is presented to Mr. Moncada. You all know him, you know of his experience, of his trajectory, of the leadership that he has had in fire protection in Latin America."
Moncada said during this presentation "this distinction is very important for me and for my family. I receive it with pride, but also with humility because I owe so much to many. Thank you for reminding me of various stages of my life. A chain of situations that have led me to make fire safety through my work, a reason for life, for joy, for joy, to do a job that I would do for free if necessary, but that I am often paid, and I think I get paid well. A dignified job, which asks for the best of oneself, where ethics, honesty, have their best reason for being, and where practically everything I have studied, what I have learned and practiced has a noble function, that of safeguarding the lives of my compatriots."
Moncada is a chemical engineer from the University of Antioquia, who holds a master's degree in industrial hygiene from Harvard University. A Colombian who for more than forty years has shared his extensive experience in the design, installation and testing of water-based fire protection systems. He was the first Latin American to establish a professional partnership with the NFPA, and has been responsible for dozens of translations of standards and codes, hundreds of courses, and several fire congresses in the region. He was co-editor of the NFPA Fire Protection Manual and was the first Latin American to receive CEPI certification in Spanish. Its impact on the fire protection industry in Latin America can be seen in the wide use and application of NFPA codes and standards, in the implementation of newer fire codes that require protection with automatic sprinklers and other human safety systems, and specifically in the careers of thousands of fire protection professionals who, either they were taught by him, who worked with or were clients of Mr. Moncada.
Jaime Moncada Pérez is the first Latin American to receive this important distinction. He is currently Technical Director of International Fire Safety Consulting (IFSC).
